Welcome!
Welcome to the Talisman Music website! Talisman Music features the Celtic group Talisman, musician and teacher Carl Thor, and contra dance bands Hands4 and Cascade Crossing. In addition, you will find a variety of products in our web store, and information about our teaching, sound engineering and composition services, and events we are promoting.
Contra in The Couve
Vancouver, WA, now has a monthly contra dance, held on the second Friday at the Hazel Dell Grange, 7509 NE Hazel Dell Ave. This fine, roomy dance hall is working out well, with its great (if slightly sloped) wood floor and an easy-to-access location just a few blocks from I-5.
The next dance will be Friday, December 9, featuring dance master & fiddler, David Kaynor, from Montague, MA, and great music by Portland's incarnation of the west wind, Zephyr. Come help us celebrate our first year of contra dancing in Vancouver! Lesson at 7:30pm, dance at 8:00pm. More info here.
Special note for Portland contra dancers: Contra in the Couve is just 4 miles from the Interstate Bridge, and no passport or security check is required for entry into Washington state!
Featured Products in our Web Store
- Come to the Dance Hall, Second Edition: A collection
of 107 melodies for Diverse Musical Instruments, Suitable for use in Country
Dancing and Related Pastimes
Newly revised and expanded tune book by Carl Thor. - Picture Diary vol. 1 and 2 by Portland artist, Rose Thor.
- New instrument and angel ornaments from Tewksbury Ornaments - 6 new designs!
Harp, guitar, violin, angel with harp, angel with trumpet, angel with violin. - Hammered Dulcimer ornament, hand-crafted by Tewksbury Ornaments - a Talisman Music exclusive!
Dulcimer News
Spring Fling Rendezvous
The 12th annual spring gathering of hammered dulcimer players and friends has been announced. It will be April 27-29, 2012 at Oral Hull Park near Sandy, OR. Featured instructors will be Walt Michael, Randy Marchany and Princess Harris. Preregistration will begin October 1. For more information, watch here.
Portland Dulcimer Jam
A dulcimer jam is held every month in Tualatin. Currently the 2nd Sunday
at the Tualatin Heritage Center (8700 SW Sweek Drive) from 1 - 3 pm.
NOTE: starting in 2012 the jam is moving in space and time -- to the 3rd
Sunday, 2 - 4 pm, at the Winona Grange (8340 SW Seneca St.), which is just a few blocks from the old location.
For January, however, it will be the new time but still the old same place. There is no jam in December.
Thanks to Rob & Nancy Downie and Gail & Ted Sittser for keeping this going!
Services offered by Talisman Music
Live Music
- Music for stage shows and other events by Talisman and Carl Thor
- Music for contra dancing by Hands4 and Cascade Crossing
Recordings, Published Music and Other Products,
available through our Web Store
- Recordings by Talisman Music artists and others
- Sheet music and tunebooks by Carl Thor, Hank Laramee, and others
- The Portland Collection tune books and CDs
- Hand-crafted hammered dulcimer ornament and other music themed ornaments
Composition and Arranging
- Original music for folk dancing, special occasions, film and video, etc.
- Music arranging and production of lead sheets, scores, and parts for your music
Sound Engineering
- Live sound reinforcement, specializing in contra dances and small-scale acoustic music events
- Studio recording, specializing in acoustic music projects, song demos, MIDI, and digital transfer from tapes or vinyl records
Education
- Private lessons and group classes in hammered dulcimer and piano
- Hammered dulcimer instruction materials
Consultation
- Assistance with setup and troubleshooting of your computer, MIDI, and digital recording applications
- Minor repairs of hammered dulcimers
